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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R92202/02
Title: Theoretical study of atomic scale dissipation in Scanning Force Microscopy
Principal Investigator: Kantorovitch, Professor L
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Department: Physics
Organisation: Kings College London
Scheme: Fast Stream
Starts: 01 September 2002 Ends: 30 June 2005 Value (£): 55,184
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Condensed Matter Physics
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Summary on Grant Application Form
We propose to study micromechanisms of observed atomic-scale damping in Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy experiments. The understanding of this effect would open up new possibilities in surface studies in general and in species recognition in AFM experiments in particular. The damping contains essentially new information about the surface under study which is related to vibrations of surface atoms, and the ability to extract this information from the experiment would considerably widen the applicability of AFM methods. Our theory will include investigation of geometrical, energetical and vibrational properties of perfect surfaces and surface defects including surface irregularities like steps and kinks. Our methods will be based on a combination of state-of-the-art ab initio total energy calculations and rigorous quantum nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. The systems chosen for numerical studies are expected to provide different emphasis to varioius possible mechanisms which we should be able to differentiate. On the other hand, the same systems are being thoroughly considered experimentally in groups in Japan, Switzerland and Germany, so that we expect an interesting collaboration with them.
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